Linda Edna Cardellini was born in Redwood City, California, to Lorraine (Hernan) and Wayne David Cardellini, a businessman. She is of Italian (from her paternal grandfather), Irish (from her mother), German, English, and Scottish descent. Linda grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, California, the youngest of four children. She became interested in acting at age ten, when she performed a singing role in a school Christmas play. She continued to do school productions and community theater.

Linda attended Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California. After graduating, she had to decide whether to go to New York to pursue theater or Los Angeles to pursue film and television. She chose LA. Linda was cast in her first role, on the series Bone Chillers (1996). Her breakthrough part came when she was cast in Freaks and Geeks (1999). She played academic decathlete Lindsay Weir on the celebrated series, which won an Emmy Award in the Category of "Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series".

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Trivia

In 1994, she won a fireplace on The Price Is Right (1972).
Loves art, especially that of Margaret Keane.
Enjoyed taking martial arts classes.
She attended Loyola Marymount University. Other students attending at the same time were Colin Hanks, Sarah Vato and Busy Philipps.
Daughter of Lorraine and Wayne Cardellini.
Linda's paternal grandfather was of Italian descent, and Linda's paternal grandmother was of German, English, and Scottish ancestry. Linda's maternal grandparents were both from Irish immigrant families.
Named #93 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006).
Though she was born in Redwood City, California, her family has lived in San Francisco for 5 generations.
Her last name means "goldfinches" in Italian.
Expecting her first child in early 2012.
Gave birth to her first child at age 36, a daughter Lilah-Rose Rodriguez on February 29, 2012. Child's father is her boyfriend, Steve Rodriguez.
Returned to work 3 months after giving birth to her daughter Lilah-Rose in order to begin recording Gravity Falls (2012).

Before I could talk, I would try to sing.
I had a really scary pregnancy and a very difficult delivery. My daughter and I are lucky to be alive.
I just got back from Switzerland, which I've never been to. I went to Switzerland and Amsterdam.
After I finished ER (1994), I wanted to concentrate on re-examining what kind of actress I am and taking time for real-life things.
Being raised Catholic myself, I think people who are Catholic tend to carry a lot of guilt. It's almost a joke.
I love to work on a set whether it's mostly men or mostly women, but there's something about being in a community of women that changes the energy.
I think everyone feels lost at times during their high school years.
I think in real life most of us don't know how to communicate our deepest feelings very well.
I think I'm going to spend some time learning how to be a first-time mom, and then I'll go back to work.
The one thing about being on ER (1994) that has changed is that I'm more easily recognizable.
Yes, I'm very close to my family. And being that close to your family, I think you also struggle with how to become your own person.